Wilderness of Rock Loop - Five Star Trails Tucson - page 93

Descend south on the Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail for about 0.2 mile to where
the trail makes a sharp right hairpin turn. (At this point, if you continue straight
for about 100 yards, you can visit the fire lookout described in the previous hike . )
The Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail now starts descending in earnest, and a sign in-
forms you that you're entering the Santa Catalina Natural Area. If you're here in
August—which is late spring at these elevations—you'll see many wildflowers along
the trail. To the west are fine views of the huge slabs of Ravens Rock and, below
them, the popular rock-climbing outcrop appropriately named Rappel Rock. If you're
lucky, you'll catch sight of ant-sized climbers silhouetted against the sky.
The trail does nothing but switchback down past these sights, and after about a
mile of descent it crosses a small creek bed, which may have water in it during all but
the driest months of early summer. Beyond, the rough, loose, rocky trail continues its
inexorable descent with more switchbacks. You'll have been walking through mixed
pine-oak woodland, with both living and burned trees—it's amazing how some sur-
vived and others were destroyed by the Aspen Fire. As you get lower, you'll start see-
ing some of the oddly shaped boulders that give the Wilderness of Rock its name.
Eventually, some 2.6 miles from the trailhead, you'll reach a T-junction that's the
lowest point of the trail. Here, turn hard left onto Wilderness of Rock Trail #44. There
is a place to camp, but if you're so inclined, you'll find better spots with rough fire
rings 100 yards up the trail. A small stream paralleling this trail might have water in
spring after snowmelt and in late summer after the monsoons, and trickles in other
months. The creek usually dries out in mid-summer.
Now the trail climbs steadily to the east and northeast, crossing the stream nu-
merous times in the first mile of the fairly gentle climb. As you get higher, keep your
eyes open to the left for views of the Lemmon Rock Lookout and the towers of Radio
Ridge. About 1.7 miles and 700 feet above the Wilderness of Rock trail junction, you
reach the busy Marshall Saddle, also reached via the Marshall Gulch Loop from the
other side.
Here, turn left (north) onto the signed Aspen Trail #93. This becomes a ridge trail,
with views to the right (east) of burned trees and views to the left of surviving forest.
Also to the right, on the skyline, you'll see the University of Arizona observatories.
Aspen Trail becomes increasingly steep as it climbs north and then northwest toward
Radio Ridge. It's a 1.3-mile climb to the intersection with Aspen Draw Trail #423,